Portugal & the European Union

Source: Unknown

After the World War II, Europe found itself completely destroyed by the bloody conflict that took place in its territory.

It was obvious that the European countries needed to be reconstructed, but there was also the trauma of the war and the fear for further conflicts.

Despite of the fact the USA was helping with the Marshall Plan, the European nations knew that they could only avoid further conflicts and not being so vulnerable to the American control if they united themselves.

Therefore, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris creating the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951. This was the first step for integration of Europe and the beginning of the European Union.

In 1957, the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC), that is, the Common Market was established, besides creating the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and extending the cooperation period of the ECSC.

In 1965, the Treaty of Brussels, also known as the Merger Treaty, transformed these three communities into one, called the European Community. This treaty also established the European Parliamentary Assembly and the European Council.

In the 70’s, Denmark, Ireland and the UK joined the European Community and, for the first time, direct democratic elections were held to choose the members of the European Parliament.

In 1986, along with Spain, Portugal joined the European Community and, in 1993, due to the Maastricht Treaty, also known as Treaty on European Union, signed in the previous year, the European Union was created, converting the economic union of the European countries into political union.

The biggest accomplishment of this treaty was the creation of something bigger than just an international organisation, because the European Union is the first and only supranational organisation in the world, whose rules legally bind all citizens of the Member States. And why this happens?

The Article 8.1 of the above mentioned treaty establishes the citizenship of the European Union and also determines that “Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union”.

Besides this, the Article 8a.1 says that “Every citizen of the Union shall have right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States...”.

Thus, considering that Portugal is a Member State since 1986, we can come to the conclusion that all Portuguese Citizens are also European Citizens, which means they all have right to move and settle in any country of the EU.

Summing up, holding the Portuguese Citizenship besides an honour, it is also a very good deal.

Larissa Bona

Tomorrow: Migration